Double Eyelids Non-Invasive Stitching Method + Aftercare

I don’t have the typical monolids like other Asians. Instead, I have sometimes double eyelids, with tons of excess skin and many creases. When I smiled, one of my eyes had a double eyelid and the other didn’t. I was getting a bit obsessive with seeing the many lines on my eyelids.

10 years ago when I was just fresh out of high school, my mom asked if I wanted to get double eyelid surgery in Taiwan, a fairly common procedure. I didn’t care at the time, but as I’m older now, I became more serious about this insecurity. I had an upcoming 2+ weeks vacation to Taiwan and with the help of my favorite Aunt, I booked a consultation with the family neighbor’s daughter who was a highly rated plastic surgeon.

I thought that I would need to cut away the excess skin in the most invasive surgical procedure. But I learned in my consultation that because my eyelid skin is relatively thin, I’m a good candidate for the stitching method. It would look more natural, heal quicker, have less complications, and it’s reversible! It’s not a permanent solution, but still quite long-term. For people who have thick eyelid skin (not to be confused with fat), the stitching method wouldn’t last as long. Eventually your lids will fall back down the way it’s used to.

I arrived for my procedure and was at the office for about 2 hours total. This included signing release forms and going over aftercare, changing into surgery patient clothes, taking professional photos of the “before,” consulting with the surgeon on the shape of my double eyelids, and also post-op icing.

The Procedure

I was led into a clean operating room and was given stress balls to clench. The assistants made sure to tell me not to move my arms above my head and to keep as still as possible. They also placed a large cover over me with a small cut out for my face. Then the surgeon got to work slathering my face with what I think was a sort of antibiotic. (I thought it might have been disinfectant but it didn’t smell.) She also marked my eyelids before injecting both the top AND UNDERSIDE of my eyelids with anesthetics. That part stung and I appreciated the ladies hushing me soothingly and also tapping my head to distract me from the pain.

Now the surgeon began stitching, which I have no idea what type of stitches she used. I felt no pain during this part, just the occasional tug of the string. I could just see from the corner of my eye the needle threading through my eyelids. She had me open my eyes several times and also sit up so she could make sure the stitching was even. After less than 30 minutes, she was done! I was immediately given a cold pack over my eyes and I lay there for about 15 minutes, kind of dozing off.

Once I was done, I went back to my family waiting for me in the lobby and they were surprised at how normal I looked, despite some puffiness. They were totally expecting me to be sporting black eyes! After I changed back to my clothes, I was done and ready to go home to rest.

Aftercare

My Aunt did me a solid by translating exactly what I needed to do post-op. I had a follow-up appointment a week later. It would take 3-7 days for swelling to subside, and 1-2 months to heal completely.

Do’s	Dont’s
Take the given medication 4x a day (3 with meals and once before bedtime)	No wearing contacts for 2 weeks
Use the provided q-tips to clean the eyelid area with saline solution, then apply a thin layer of antibiotic ointment 2x a day	Avoid drinking too much water 3 hours before bedtime
Apply ice pack to eyelids for 10-15 minutes every hour. Use gauze to protect the skin from direct contact with the ice pack.	No rubbing eyes for 1 month
	No physical activity, hot springs, or spicy food for 1 week (to prevent blood rush to the face)
	Avoid carrying anything heavier than 3 kgs for 2 weeks (to avoid blood rushing to the head)
	No eye makeup for 2 weeks

Before Photo

Healing Time: Days 1-2

Within an hour after the procedure, the anesthesia wore off and I felt immense pain on my lids. I took the meds as instructed and began icing, which hurt to place anything on top of my lids. I’ve felt worse pain in the past (period cramps and also dry sockets from wisdom teeth removal), but this was pretty uncomfortable. Overnight though, the pain disappeared. The surgeon warned that the second day would look worse but my whole family thought I was actually better! The night of the procedure, I could hardly open my eyes since it felt better to keep the closed. During Day 2, I was able to keep my eyes open and also properly ice them every hour.

I did somehow pop a blood vessel in my right eye overnight. That may have been due to me tugging at the corners of my eyes to remove gunk that accumulated.

Days 3-4

These days I iced my eyes for most of the day and took long breaks when I went out. I always ended the night with more icing. This was also when I finished up my oral meds. To wash my face, I used a damp towel to wipe away my cleanser, never getting my eyes wet.

Days 5-6

Similarly, I also left for chunks of the day and iced only 2-3 times a day. Every morning and night, I applied the antibiotic ointment given to me with a clean q-tip.

Days 7-8

I stopped icing at this point, being mentally drained from it. I had my 1 week follow up appointment with my surgeon, who said I did a great job with the icing and she was surprised I didn’t have much bruising or swelling on Day 2. She said I can stop applying the antibiotic ointment and can start using warm compresses once at night for 20 minutes for 2 weeks.

2 Weeks

At 2 weeks, I was able to wear contacts because tugging very slightly against my eyes to pop out my contacts did not bother me. I also started cautiously washing my face in the shower again, but not putting cleanser directly on my lids.

3 Weeks

My popped blood vessel in my eye is gone! The lines from the stitches are much less defined than before and less scary-looking when I close them.

4 Weeks

By this point, I was really tired of warm compresses. I slowly phased them out to using them every other night and then to not at all. You can see the difference between weeks 3 and 4 that the skin closest to my lash line isn’t as puffy.

My Left Eye

I sent this photo to my Aunt, who followed up with the surgeon/staff. If I glare slightly upwards, my left eye produces an extra line! I believe this is due to having a bit more excess skin on my left eyelid than my right, plus genetics. If I blink or look level, the extra line isn’t there. I’m not sure if my surgeon could have predicted this or stitched higher, but I just tell myself that eyes aren’t meant to be symmetrical and at least it’s just on one side!

5 Weeks

I love love love the shape of my right eye. I think it’s a good balance, plus my lashes are lifted up! My left eye just has more skin so it looks chunkier.

4 Months

Healing times vary from person to person and while I don’t think I’m fully completely healed yet (if I rub or pull my eyelid too much, I can feel the stitches), I believe this is my final result. Often times, my left eye will have two lines instead of one cohesive one like my right eye, but I’ve made my peace with it. If it continues to get worse, then I can take apart the thread and redo my left eye only. Rarely have I regretted the semi-permanent cosmetic procedures I’ve done so far, from my eyeliner tattoo to microbladed eyebrows to getting double eyelids.

6 Months

At 6 months post op, I believe this will be my final form. You can hardly see any lines when my eyes are closed, but if I rub a certain way, I can still feel the tug of the stitching. This operation has pretty much gotten rid of my bad habit of rubbing my eyes excessively.

Overall

I’m still pretty happy with my results! The change is subtle enough that people will kind of notice something is different but can’t place their finger on it – WHICH IS THE POINT. For $830, I think this price is quite a steal.

This has given me a ton more confidence that I believe it’s worth it at that price. If it were $2000+ like in the U.S. then I would not be down.

Final before and after photos:

xx Sam